I can't stand buying single songs. I like coherence in production and style when I'm listening to a string of songs, and the best way to achieve that is through an album. I hate the idea of "shuffle"... it becomes this eclectic mess.
I've always been very obsessive about having every song from the album present whenever I listen to music. I have always felt that having the full album gives me a better idea of how much I actually enjoy the music. Like, if there is a song I can't stand on an album, say the second song on the Fallujah EP, Nomadic. That song is totally pointless to me, its just sorta there, taking up space. I don't need 5 minutes of minimalist shoegaze, but I still keep the song on my tablet, work computer, and home computer, and I still skip it every time the track comes up. I feel like hearing and skipping it each time reminds me what I love and hate about the album and enhances my listening experience.
I know that sounds really weird and OCD, but its always been the way I've done it, even before I was an Audiophile. I'd do it in high school with crappy 20 dollar headphones.
I guess the best analogy is to a book. When re-reading a book that I love, I still read the sections I don't like to give me the best sense of the full work, instead of just reading the parts I like.
I can't stand buying single songs. I like coherence in production and style when I'm listening to a string of songs, and the best way to achieve that is through an album. I hate the idea of "shuffle"... it becomes this eclectic mess.
My usual listening habit is to shuffle my entire library until a I hear a song that sounds good at that moment, and then I go on to listen to that entire album. Sometimes I don't know what I want to hear until I hear it. "Shuffling" isn't inherently bad, IMO.
I've always looked at music in terms of art vs entertainment. A lot of music is obviously not concerned with artistic depth, and vise versa (i.e. drone, minimalist). Some people want to hear a song just to dance along and have a good time or whatever, and their intentions are obviously different from those who want to sit down with a 90-minute jazz piece and analyze every chord change. The great thing about music is that it's capable of both. The former group can have their shuffle button, and I'm 100% sure that any artist who actually cares about consistency will continue to use the album format. It's not "dead" in any area where it actually matters.
And on another note: (modern) pop albums typically only have 1-3 hits per album anyway. They're probably wasting money/time by adhering to an irrelevant standard.
I've always been very obsessive about having every song from the album present whenever I listen to music. I have always felt that having the full album gives me a better idea of how much I actually enjoy the music. Like, if there is a song I can't stand on an album, say the second song on the Fallujah EP, Nomadic. That song is totally pointless to me, its just sorta there, taking up space. I don't need 5 minutes of minimalist shoegaze, but I still keep the song on my tablet, work computer, and home computer, and I still skip it every time the track comes up. I feel like hearing and skipping it each time reminds me what I love and hate about the album and enhances my listening experience.
I know that sounds really weird and OCD, but its always been the way I've done it, even before I was an Audiophile. I'd do it in high school with crappy 20 dollar headphones.
I guess the best analogy is to a book. When re-reading a book that I love, I still read the sections I don't like to give me the best sense of the full work, instead of just reading the parts I like.
I’m auditioning some gear this weekend. A guy is bringing some gear for me to listen to in my listening room. I'm getting ready to pull the trigger.
We're going to try my speakers on a few dac/amp combos and compare my speakers with some new speakers. He's a pretty conservative guy so I probably won't scare him with Marduk.
I'll listen to just a couple of tracks...probably something jazz or classical, some rock or prog, maybe some electronic.
And, something to see how the equipment sounds with heavy music. Looking for that one definite track to represent. I'm having a hard time narrowing it down. Just so much music I love. I want something that will give me some bass as I'm looking at smaller speakers for a small room.
Something defining that can demonstrate the power, speed and heft of metal. So, I’m pulling some of my old classics. I’m wondering if any of you would mind chiming in on SQ from some of this vintage metal/hard rock. Redcar and Ferday have pretty exhaustive knowledge of the various masters.
I bought the 2014 reissue of Zeppelin 1 which sound pretty good. That may be my move. And, I’m going through some of my other older classic metal
Slayer-Angel of Death (RIB 2002) which sound pretty good
Metallica’s MOP and RTL 95 Electra-fairly muddy sounding to me
Iron Maiden from (Number of the B) 98 and (Power Slave) 2002 Sanctuary Records
Sabbath: Master of Reality Warner Bros 87 and a Dio anthology Stand up in Shout 2003 for the Heaven and Hell cuts. I’ve read the early 86 Castle releases are the best for early Sabbath
Going through the usual metal and rock suspects-my typical audition stuff include Rush's Moving Pictures, Tool (Lateralus), Rage Against the Machine, Porcupine Tree/S Wilson, Opeth (Ghost Reveries and maybe Pale Communion), and my copy of Dark side of the Moon. And, sometimes Dream Theater because the production is really good. I wish I could find a reference CD of Sabbath or Metallica's MOP or TRL that blows me away for reference listening to gear.
On pure SQ, RAM, Opeth and Tool are hard to beat-but not that heavy
You know, lateralus is a great demo album. Has heaviness and bass and speed and detail...All excellently recorded.
The 24k gold disc DCC remaster of master of puppets is Incredible, I'd call it reference without a doubt but good luck finding one on eBay for a reasonable price (although every metalhead should have a copy LOL). Early slayer (original) is pretty good and the speed will test any gear to the limits
Honestly I'm a big advocate of demoing gear with music you really know and love rather than recording quality. You know how it "should" sound and you know all the little details. Don't worry so much about recording quality (although I may skip old school BM) and just try to lose yourself in your favorite songs, that'll be the best way to know the real sound. I've never done a gear demo since the early 90's without nevermind and dirt....I've listened to those songs so much that if anything is off (especially vocals) I know right away
You're in a fun position....I have zero excuse to be looking for new gear, my wallet and wife may thank me but I love trying new stuff. Let us know how it goes! And if you're demoing in your own room, spend a bit of time and set up the speakers right, room effects can't be overrated so you wanna know how they really do in your space. And don't underestimate bass. We're not teenagers but crappy bass quality (vs quantity) will kill long term enjoyment like nothing else
Regarding the album vs shuffle debate, don't you guys agree that metal is a lot more like jazz or classical in that the artist is much more likely to try and put out an album of art? I guess I often think I like metal as musicians and song writers in this genre are more like composers of music than seeking to make a few super popular 3 min songs. I guess that's why I like jazz so much as well.
Regarding the album vs shuffle debate, don't you guys agree that metal is a lot more like jazz or classical in that the artist is much more likely to try and put out an album of art? I guess I often think I like metal as musicians and song writers in this genre are more like composers of music than seeking to make a few super popular 3 min songs. I guess that's why I like jazz so much as well.
That is part of the art form, to make albums that go together sound wise. If you have made music you realize that it is easy to have songs that can stand on their own but are very different. The hard part is to make them sound like they are part of a larger whole.
You know, lateralus is a great demo album. Has heaviness and bass and speed and detail...All excellently recorded.
The 24k gold disc DCC remaster of master of puppets is Incredible, I'd call it reference without a doubt but good luck finding one on eBay for a reasonable price (although every metalhead should have a copy LOL). Early slayer (original) is pretty good and the speed will test any gear to the limits
Honestly I'm a big advocate of demoing gear with music you really know and love rather than recording quality. You know how it "should" sound and you know all the little details. Don't worry so much about recording quality (although I may skip old school BM) and just try to lose yourself in your favorite songs, that'll be the best way to know the real sound. I've never done a gear demo since the early 90's without nevermind and dirt....I've listened to those songs so much that if anything is off (especially vocals) I know right away
You're in a fun position....I have zero excuse to be looking for new gear, my wallet and wife may thank me but I love trying new stuff. Let us know how it goes! And if you're demoing in your own room, spend a bit of time and set up the speakers right, room effects can't be overrated so you wanna know how they really do in your space. And don't underestimate bass. We're not teenagers but crappy bass quality (vs quantity) will kill long term enjoyment like nothing else
I'm hoping I can put together a system without being on such a tight budget as I originally was. Something I can really live with for a long time. When I started it was one component at a time. But, once I had something to listen to, I slowly started chunking $ from my part time "fun" summer kayaking job. It's nice to be able to have a few K and say-this is what I want but still not be in a position to throw down 10's of thousands-maybe in another life time! I think w/ technology and some of these more boutique companies that are putting out good value for dollar products this is a good time to be into audio.
Regarding the album vs shuffle debate, don't you guys agree that metal is a lot more like jazz or classical in that the artist is much more likely to try and put out an album of art? I guess I often think I like metal as musicians and song writers in this genre are more like composers of music than seeking to make a few super popular 3 min songs. I guess that's why I like jazz so much as well.
There are hits on some (non-Disturbed heh) albums, but I think they are unintentional. You know, those songs that are almost universally recognized as being above and beyond everything else on the album. Even so, I want the entire body of work even if not every song is a gem.
Personally I've always been a full album goer. From the grade school days to now, and I don't see it changing. An album is a work of art. It portrays the current goals and stream of thought of the artist, creating a certain cohesion which is lost with the 'track by track' thing going on in mass society.
I will say this however. It was only recently that I started creating que lists of songs I've been itching to hear recently, though in large I still love hearing entire albums at a time.
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